DHS Skyline 2 Provincial Blue Sponge

Used this rubber on the Fang Bo B2X at 40 degrees hardness on the forehand. This rubber (at this hardness) is definitely not for beginners; it demands a big stroke with good acceleration and timing to get a shot with both spin and speed. As a result of this, almost all attacking strokes require better precision to pull off. However, the results achieved when executed correctly are far better than any other rubber I have used: slow and spinny shots come close to the net and kick after landing on your opponent’s side, making them hard to counter; kill loops have an abnormal amount of spin and speed; and counter-topspins and loops are unreturnable for amateurs.

Despite these characteristics, serving short, pushing short, blocking passively, drop shots, lobbing, and other skills that require good touch are all easy to perform. So unless you are a high-level player and have a game and technique that is very similar to Xu Xin’s or Ma Lin’s, I find this rubber difficult to recommend. But for those who can utilize the full potential of the rubber, you won’t want to play with another rubber after trying this.

This is probably the spinniest rubber I’ve used. The rubber feels like it “bites” the ball and throws it to the table. Forehand flicks are really strong with this rubber, and this rubber is really strong for third-ball attacks. Hurricane 3 is better at topspin-to-topspin.

Update: After using it for a long time, the sponge got pretty damn hard. It didn’t matter if I boosted it; it remained curled and hard, too hard.

This review discusses the 40’ version of the table tennis rubber, highlighting its performance when played both unboosted and boosted. The unboosted rubber performs better on softer, more flexible blades, while boosting with one layer of FT Long Booster yields better results on harder, stiffer blades.

In terms of specific ratings:

• Looping: 9.7/10
• Driving: 8.5/10 (performing better when boosted)
• Serve/Receive: 10/10
• Blocking: 9/10 (note that the ball’s trajectory isn’t linear, as it tends to curve, which may not be ideal for training)
• Countering: 9/10 (both spinning and hitting back the ball are relatively easy and adjustable).

Overall, the rubber is best utilized on mildly stiff blades such as the Barwell Fleet, Gauzy SL, or Infinity VPS when unboosted, or on the Viscaria when boosted. These recommendations are based on above-average looping mechanics and emphasize that this rubber requires more effort to master compared to T05 or even the Dignics series. However, it offers a significant safety advantage under pressure, ensuring the ball will land regardless of the shot.

The opening third ball with this rubber remains classic and is much more powerful than the Hurricane series, in my opinion. I appreciate the rubber’s flexibility in hitting, looping, and even loop driving. Weighing in at a modest 48-49 grams on a 157/150 blade, it’s not excessively heavy.

This rubber is particularly suitable for players who prefer heavy, hard countering without the bottoming out associated with the Hurricane or Tenergy series. It provides immaculate control for short games and allows for flat hits against heavy topspins, offering ease of redirection without any loss of control.

While it takes more work than tensors, the shots are much more fulfilling and can be deadlier, especially with unusual ball spins such as flat or sidespin from opponents. I tested this rubber on various blades, including the Nobilis, Gauzy SL, Nittaku SKC, and some basic five-ply blades. My least favorite pairing was with low dwell blades, as they didn’t allow the rubber to sink and generate the necessary energy for effective spinning.